If you’re familiar with the skin care and beauty world, no doubt you will have stumbled upon these products before, either by trying them yourself, hearing a friend rave about them or reading about them in any number of articles. I have normal-to-dry skin and feel like I am forever trying products, avoiding products, drinking lots of water and generally slathering (ooh that’s a good word. . .) myself in various potions to hydrate my skin. . .enter my new holy grail skin products.

HYDRALURON

THE SCIENCEY BIT: “Moisture Booster with the purest hyaluronic acid. Increase skin hydration from below the surface with an ultra-high-quality hyaluronic acid that holds up to 1,000 times it’s weight in water. This serum uses the world’s purest hyaluronic acid from the Netherlands to restore optimal hydration levels.

Over time this serum increases skin’s hydration level and minimises the need for frequent topical moisturising. This increase in moisture levels has been shown to increase skin elasticity and reduce surface roughness.

SAY WHAT?: Basically, you put it on before applying your moisturizer and it significantly increases your skins ability to absorb the goodness than from just using a moisturizer alone.

DOES IT WORK?: Yes. I questioned it initially and became so disenchanted with it, that I stopped using it altogether. That’s when I really noticed the difference. How much drier my skin was without this product.

FINAL THOUGHTS: I would, without a doubt, repurchase this product. I find spending time and admittedly money on your skin to be a worth while investment. Plus, how much nicer does make up look on beautiful skin?

ELIZABETH ARDEN 8 HOUR SKIN PROTECTANT

THE SCIENCEY BIT: “THE LEGEND Created in 1930 by Elizabeth Arden herself to soothe skin, Eight Hour® Cream Skin Protectant became an instant and overwhelming success. What made it so effective? A combination of petrolatum, a skin-soothing beta-hydroxy – debuting in one of its first cosmetic uses – and vitamin E. The apricot-coloured balm was so beneficial to her clients that Miss Arden even used it to soothe her famous thoroughbred horses’ legs. Even its name came about thanks to a remarkable performance – a loyal client used it to treat her child’s skinned knee and Eight Hour®s later, the skin was all better.”

SAY WHAT?: Basically this is a pretty versatile product that can and is used for a huge list of things including; moisturizing and soothing skin, by make up artists the world over to add shine to eyes, lips and cheeks, to tame unruly eyebrows, as after-sun, to relieve wind chapped skin. . .etc. etc. You get the point? It’s the very epitome of versatile.

DOES IT WORK?: Does it ever. I don’t know why I haven’t tried this product sooner. I had read and heard countless rave reviews about this product and yet I have only just tried it. I saw and felt a noticeable difference after just one application.

FINAL THOUGHTS: One thing I feel needs to be mentioned about this product, is it has a very distinctive smell. Not the most pleasant, or at least I didn’t find it to be. It is a very greasy formulation too, more of a balm than a cream I would say. It’s not the sort of product that just melts in to your skin so I would certainly avoid applying it just before make up. These are minor complaints. I can certainly see why there is so much hype surrounding this product, it most definitely deserves the cult status is has achieved.

THE PERFECT DUO

You will definitely find me using these two products together for some time to come. Separately I have found them to work, but together, they are an absolute dream. If you have dry or combination skin I would most certainly encourage you to give these a whirl.